


A Change

by nhasablog



Category: Iron Man (Comic), Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types
Genre: College, Fluff, Friendship, Long Hair, Tickle Fights, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-01
Packaged: 2018-09-21 08:32:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9539870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nhasablog/pseuds/nhasablog
Summary: Tony grows his hair out and Rhodey just has to touch it. College!Tonyrhodey





	

Sometime around their junior year of college, Tony let his hair grow out. Rhodey didn’t notice at first; a side effect of having spent pretty much all summer with his younger friend. But when it was long enough to cover the nape of his neck which prompted Tony to start using both headbands and hairbands - not necessarily simultaneously -  to keep it in place, Rhodey became very aware of how different he looked compared to the previous year.

And it wasn’t just the hair. Tony looked bigger in a way. Stronger. All that time he’d suddenly started spending at the gym was paying off, and with that came a confidence he’d lacked during the first couple of years Rhodey had known him. He might have been faking it, of course, since being the son of Howard Stark required a public persona that Tony hadn’t fully gotten the grip of yet. But Rhodey could tell he wasn’t as terrified as before. Anxious, yes, but terrified? No.

A pride settled over Rhodey’s heart. He’d been worried about his friend for so long, but it seemed like college was finally doing him good. It was reassuring to witness.

It was during a quiet night that was spent on Rhodey’s bed in a sea of notes and textbooks that Rhodey’s hand found Tony’s hairband-free hair the first time. Tony froze, glanced at him sideways, and asked, “What are you doing?”

“You’ve grown out your hair.”

“Well spotted.”

“It looks soft. I wanted to feel it.”

“That’s not weird at all.”

“We’ve both seen and done worse.”

“True.”

Rhodey tangled his fingers in the hair and moved upwards to knead at the back of Tony’s head in the way he loved having it done on himself. Tony promptly melted under his touch, leaning into him instinctively with a content hum. “Don’t stop.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Rhodey replied with a grin.

Tony was touch starved. Rhodey had figured that out the first month of knowing him. It was upsetting to see, but Rhodey was never quite sure where the line went, and thus was constantly scared of crossing it. Tony always froze when Rhodey touched him, even after two years of friendship, but Rhodey had learned not to view that was his actual reaction, but only as an initial one. It was what followed that would reveal Tony’s real feelings about the situation, and those feelings weren’t always positive, of course. Rhodey asked sometimes before he did something, but Tony could be so awkward about it that he almost always said no even though Rhodey knew he would’ve liked it if he’d allowed it to happen. Still he always reached out slowly, giving his friend several opportunities to ask him to stop. Tony didn’t seem to want him to ever stop right now.

And so a new habit began. Each time Tony seemed more stressed than usual Rhodey’s hand would suddenly be in his hair, and it would stay for as long as it was needed, even if the arm started aching. Rhodey loved that Tony trusted him so much now, as compared to how things were just two years prior.

“You’re good at this,” Tony noted one day when both of them were sitting on Rhodey’s bed once again, their backs against the headboard.

“What? Head massages?”

“Yeah.”

“I try.”

“Have you gotten a lot of practice?”

“Not necessarily. I’m just observant and try to move my fingers in a way that you like.”

“I knew growing my hair out would be good for something.”

Rhodey barked out a laugh. “Why _did_ you do it, by the way?”

Tony shrugged. “At first I just got tired of cutting it, I think. Ever since I started college dad’s been nicer when it comes to me missing big events, so I didn’t have to keep it short in order to style it appropriately. Then I started liking it longer. It makes me look different.”

“You do look different.”

Tony hummed. “I’m thinking of cutting it soon.”

“How come?”

“Summer is quickly approaching, and it’s a big year for Stark Industries.” He paused to adjust his position so that he was sitting cross legged. “That means lots and lots of public events that require me to look the part.”

“Oh.”

“But it’s all right. I think it will make me look more mature.”

“Well, you certainly don’t have a baby face anymore.” Rhodey’s hand left Tony’s hair to touch his face. “All that baby fat’s gone.”

Tony laughed and leaned away from him when he wiggled his fingers under his chin. “Oh, shut up.”

Rhodey grinned. “It’s true. You’re gonna blow them all away with your looks.”

“Obviously.”

“The media will name you pretty boy Stark, and you’ll get all the girls and boys that you want and-”

Tony covered his face with his hands, but he was grinning. “Please stop.”

“Why, am I embarrassing you?”

“Something like that.”

Rhodey was just messing with him, of course, but he knew Tony needed the carefreeness right now. “That’s sweet, but hey. Stop hiding.” He poked at Tony’s ribs, making his hands fly down to push his away. “That’s better.”

“You’re so annoying,” Tony replied, holding onto his wrists. “Why am I even friends with you.”

“Because I’m awesome and handsome and hilarious. Do I need to go on?”

Tony shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I remember.” He let go of Rhodey’s hands, and one of them promptly returned to Tony’s hair once again.

“I’m gonna miss your long hair,” Rhodey admitted. “But I’m sure shorter hair will make head massages easier.”

“And that’s all that matters.”

“I didn’t think you’d love them this much.”

“Sorry to disappoint.”

“Oh, I’m the opposite of disappointed.”

Tony didn’t reply, and for a moment the piles of notes around them were forgotten as Rhodey attempted to rub every single demon out of Tony’s head. It probably didn’t work, but it was worth a shot.

“Hey,” he said after a while, his hand stilling. “Don’t fall asleep. We should study.”

Tony looked sleepier than before, and if exam season wasn’t just around the corner Rhodey might’ve let him go to bed. He knew it wouldn’t do either of them any good, though, especially since it was barely dinner time.

When Tony just sighed but made no move to sit up properly, Rhodey moved his hand downwards to wiggle his fingers against the nape of his neck. “Come on, Tones.”

Tony jerked, hunching up his shoulders to try to block the hand from accessing the skin. He was giggling already. “Stop it.”

“You need to wake up, and I think this is as good of a method as anything.” And he loved tickling Tony, but he didn’t tell him that.

Tony slid downwards, his shirt riding up in his attempt to get away. “Dohohon’t!”

Rhodey _had_ to scribble his fingers over the bare skin on his midriff. _Had_ to.

Tony flailed his hands around uselessly, bringing up a knee to try to ward him off. Rhodey knew he would win this battle. Being tickled had always made Tony weak.

“Will you sit up and study like a good boy?” he asked, grinning so much that his mouth almost hurt.

“Yehehes!” Tony replied, just like Rhodey knew he would. “Just stop!”

Rhodey did and reached up to ruffle Tony’s hair. “Atta boy.”

One good thing about Tony cutting off his hair, Rhodey found out later, was that it stuck up everywhere after a tickle fight in a way his longer hair didn’t, and it was both hilarious and endearing.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://nhasablog.tumblr.com)


End file.
